Bible Strands
Proverbs 7:17
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The adulterous woman in Proverbs 7 addresses a naive young man, describing her preparations for his arrival. She speaks immediately after decking her bed with Egyptian linen and just before inviting him to intimacy.
The words — נַ֥פְתִּי (Naf.ti) translates literally as “I have sprinkled,” and מִשְׁכָּבִי (mishkavi) means “my bed.” These terms frame the action of preparing a sleeping place with specific aromatics.
The thread — The same spices appear in Psalm 45:8 as part of royal wedding imagery and in Exodus 30:23 for consecrated anointing oil. The text lists myrrh and cinnamon in Exodus 30:23, while aloes appear in Psalm 45:8.
Why it lands — The verse records a calculated attempt to mimic sacred or royal fragrance for illicit purposes. It demands the reader recognize how familiar religious or royal symbols are repurposed to facilitate deception.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Cross-references
- Psalms 45:8 All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces of ivory the harps make you glad.
- Isaiah 57:7 On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifices.
- Exodus 30:23 “Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
- Song of Solomon 3:6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from all the spices of the merchant?
- Song of Solomon 4:13 Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,